Teen shot: suspects in court
POLICE arrested two suspects after three men shot and killed a teenage boy in Sydenham, Durban. A third suspect ran away.
Jarrell Somana was walking on Butcher Road on Sunday afternoon when he was shot repeatedly. It is alleged that the gunmen got out of a vehicle and fired at the 17-year-old, who lived in Wentworth.
Jarrell ran into nearby premises and allegedly tried to hide under a bus parked on the property but the gunmen followed and continued to shoot at him. He died at the scene.
Jarrell’s family said they had not yet come to terms with his killing.
“We really don’t know what to say,” said Cookie Edwards, his maternal grandmother.
“For a life to be taken at such a young age is heartbreaking.”
Edwards said Jarrell lived with his father’s family.
“All we know is that he was visiting friends and his cousins in Sydenham when the incident occurred.”
She said Jarrell, who dropped out of school, was a pleasant child who had many friends.
“But with that said, we don’t know what our children are up to on the outside. We are all still grappling with what happened. His mum and two younger brothers are devastated.”
Colonel Thembeka Mbele, a provincial police spokesperson, said officers from the Sydenham Trio Task Team and a local security company pursued the suspects.
“The suspects were spotted as they drove through 45th Cutting Avenue. When the suspects reached a dead-end they opened fire on police officials before abandoning their vehicle.”
Mbele said two suspects, aged 26 and 27, were arrested, while the third suspect fled into the bushes.
“Police seized two firearms and seven rounds of ammunition, which will be subjected to ballistic testing,” she said.
“Investigations by police revealed that the recovered vehicle was hijacked in Ntuzuma last month.”
The suspects appeared in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday on charges of murder, attempted murder, and unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.
They were remanded into police custody pending further investigations.
Funeral arrangements were not finalised at the time of going to print.
This is the second known shooting in Sydenham this year.
Last month, Jared Johnstone, 35, of Keal Road, was shot and killed across the road from his home.